Hardwood floors are considered heavy and durable so that they can withstand things such as daily foot traffic, furniture, and rowdy kids. However, the older your floorboards are, the more apt they are to start squeaking. This may be caused by gap openings along the seams of the floorboards, joints becoming loose, or fasteners designed to hold the panels in place becoming disengaged. The information below provides some details on what causes uneven floorboards and how to fix them.

Gaps In The Subfloor

If the foundation of your home starts to shift, it's possible that this can create an unevenness in your floorboards, which can lead to gaps in the subfloor. If you notice there is extra space between the floor's columns and that it's loose when you step on them, gaps may be within the subfloor. In order to protect your actual hardwood flooring, you may need to have new shims installed to tighten up the spaces that are loose or gapped. To install shims, you will place the shims in the middle of any of the joists or subfloor areas that appear out of place. The shims work to tighten up the spacing and stop the floorboards from moving.

Flexibility From Floor Joint Fasteners

Constantly having heavy floor traffic for long stretches of time may cause your floorboards to weaken, which may make them flexible and noisy. The pressure on the wood flooring may cause the floorboards to start to rub against each other and create friction within the joints. The squeakiness can be alleviated by applying oil at the point where the floorboards have started rubbing together. The other alternative to rid yourself of the noise is to take off floor joint fasteners and reattach them more tightly. In order to do this, you have to place cleats beside the joists in the floorboards and then some add some lumber to secure them in place again.

Moisture And Loose Floorboards

If you have problems with humidity levels in your home and notice that the air is always moist or damp, it's possible for the wooden floorboards to get soft and loose. This can create serious issues and lead to the need to have the wood replaced entirely if not addressed immediately. However, you can spot fix if found in time. All you have to do is located the damaged floorboard by walking along the area, looking for the location where the wood is dislocated. Then use a finish nail to put through the flooring and connect it to the joist. To camouflage the nails, you should add putty that matches the wood to the top after the wood has been fixed.

If you are unsure on how to fix your floorboards, consider consulting with a contractor like Cooper Floors.